Gymboree

Mr. Bishop is taking a day off of work tomorrow for the first official Daddy & Daughter Date Day...Brought to you by the letter D.

I signed them up to try the free Gymboree class...If I can get him to take notes, we will review the experience!

Avocados=Winner!!!!

Elle had avocados for dinner tonight! Big winner!!! She ate everything available!

A great reader sent me this link today to Mark's Daily Apple, the section about babies eating what primitive babies ate is great! I like eating whole foods and I think that is why I like introducing Elle to veggies first...she will have plenty of exposure to processed foods when she gets old enough to ride her bike to Dunkin Donuts.

Tonight Mr. Bishop and I ate avocados also. I don't know if my theory is sound, but here it is:
If we eat at the table together as often as possible, and all eat some components of the same things, I feel like it will be normal for Elle growing up. I want her to eat a wide variety of foods and *selfishly* I don't want to have to make her 'special' Elle only dinners. I want to cook one meal for the family and I think eating it at the table is a good habit for all of us to have.

Check back in 3 years to see if my theory holds water...

Little Girl Big Poops!

My cousins gave Elle a super cute onesie that says "little girl, big dreams". I have big dreams for my daughter. However, if we were to take the onesie and put it in the tangible present...it would read, "little girl big poops". The best part about that is, I am proud of her poops! It is a sick fact of motherhood that I suffer while she is struggling to poop (dear readers, imagine trying to poop while laying flat on your back). I celebrate nice healthy poops and I examine everything in between to make sure my girl is healthy. I also send Mr. Bishop emails at work updating him on the poopy situation. Because he is super dad, I know he enjoys those emails!

Today was another sweet potato poop and that is awesome! Here poop schedule has remained the same with the introduction of solid foods and that makes her poop watching mother happy! No constipation for my sweet potato girl! Tonight we see what avocados will do to the diaper!

Sweet potato poop from my sweet potato pie!

We had our first yammy poop today! It was a good one!

Sweet potato allergy?

Has anyone ever experienced a sweet potato (or yam) allergy???

We introduced yams two nights ago and have had no problems and I want to try avocados tonight... I know that the reccomended wait between solid foods is 2 to 4 days...but if I wait 4 days between each food she will be 17 before she gets arugula!! Not to mention ginger!

We chose to skip cereal and go right for whole foods. I baked a yam (it was a biggie) on Sunday night and Mr. Bishop and I split most of it and cut a small piece out for Elle. I mashed hers with a little breast milk until it was a very runny consistency (like the cereal would be). She had a huge smile on for the first few bites. I think she ate about a tablespoon of the mix on Sunday and at least that much on Monday.

We decided to breast feed right before solid food time to about 3/4 as long as she normally eats so she would not be famished before trying a new way of eating but would also be a little hungry for a new thing. I also offered nursing right after she came out of her high chair just in case she was still hungry. Babies should still derive most of their nutrients from breast milk (or formula) because it is hard for them to get enough calories from food.

We want to introduce her to flavors and eating with the family without depriving her of her primary source of nutrition.

So far it is working. She did the really cute baby spit the food out (tongue thrust) and we had to wipe her chin with the spoon and re feed the same sweet potatoes a couple times! Overall we kept it a very mellow experience and she seemed to enjoy the new flavor.

Mr. Bishop and I will decide tonight if we should do one more day of sweet potato or try the avocados. I suppose it depends on if we want sweet potatoes again for dinner or taco Tuesday!!!

Dear people who want to hang out with my kid,

Dear people who want to hang out with my kid,

Elle is the responsibility of Mr. & Mrs. Bishop. If we don't like what you are doing with our kid, we have not only the right to tell you to stop but the responsibility. If you choose not to listen to Mr. or Mrs. Bishop when it comes to matters of Baby Bishop, we don't have to pretend you are right.

Elle is five months old. She does not eat cookies and she does not like things frantically waved in her face. She is taking in the world one moment at a time. Respect the fact that she is learning slowly. Respect the fact that as her parents we not only want what is best for her, but have a pretty good idea of what that is. We are not morons. We have read a few books about child development, we have talked to a couple pediatricians and we have common sense. Most importantly, we pay attention to her cues. She is small, but she communicates what she wants. If you listen. So, do me a favor. When Mr. Bishop tells you how we are raising our kid...listen to what he says.

Sincerely,
Elle's mom

(Funny story, my last OB visit pre delivery the doctor came into the exam room and said, "Hi, I am Mark's dad..." I smiled politely and he said, "Get used to it, it is your new title, your new name and your new full time identity." It is true. I am Elle's mom and I take it very seriously.)

Five month check up

I have to be honest...for those who have read previous posts, you know I am obsessed with vitamins. Obsessed.

I took Elle for her 5 month check up and we saw a different doctor in the practice. Here is how it all went down:

Weight: great. She gained one pound and four ounces. Great progress.
Length: she SHRANK?!?!?!? What? That is weird and the doctor was like, "someone must have measured her wrong." Ya think? Annoying

General Check Up: All good

This doctor was very chatty and did not ask me if I had any questions. So I just started interjecting my questions. When I got to the question about vitamins she said, "all breast fed infants should be on a ACD vitamin." WHAT?!?!?!??!? I instantly felt like dirtbag mom of the year. I may as well have brought my kid into the doctor with a poopy diaper running down her leg.

I told her that our regular doctor said no vitamins. She said I was wrong. Dirtbag mom. Worst mom ever.

This doctor wanted me to start Elle on rice cereal right away. I told her I wanted to start veggies first and she was not happy with that. I don't want to give her processed food when we can just as easily smash sweet potatoes with breast milk to start. She was not supportive of that.

I can't wait to see my regular doctor again. I am never changing doctors again.

My little traveler

Elle is the best traveler ever. I rarely use superlatives, but in this case...she really is the best. She ate and pooped before we left for the airport on our way out. She took a nice nap in the car and then we loaded up her Chicco travel system and took her into the airport. I strapped a large backpacker type back pack to my back with all of our stuff. It was both of our "carry on" luggage. I also carried her diaper bag as her "personal item".

Going through security was by far the worst part of the trip. I had an infant, a car seat, a stroller, a small diaper bag and a large back pack to put through the x-ray machine. I had all Elle's liquids and gels in a small bag and all mine in another small bag. All TSA approved. First I put our liquids and shoes in a TSA bin, then I threw our packs on the conveyor also. Then I removed my baby girl from the stroller system car seat and put her on my hip. I popped out the car seat and set it on the conveyor belt with her blankie, one toy and one bib inside. These were the "critical items" for our trip...the little things that make my girl happy. The only time the TSA agent noticed what I was doing was to TURN OVER her car seat...dumping her three critical items on the belt. I jumped into the x-ray and grabbed her stuff and placed it an another bin. I told the agent that the stroller did not look like it would fit and two agents said... "you have to try". Ok. Then I folded her stroller and hefted it onto the belt. No one seemed to want to help me with that. I then asked why they turned over the car seat and the agent said, "because". Ok Mama, keep movin'.

The stroller did not fit, big surprise. So the agent told me to take it off the belt (note, infant still on my hip) and hand it to another agent. I did. That agent walked away. Ok. I went and stood at the end of the conveyor belt waiting for our stroller so I could re load our belongings. I waited. And waited. And our stuff was in a big pile and the other travelers were not pleased with me. I politely apologized to all the people who were behind me, but I had nowhere to go.

The agent handed me back my stroller and asked me why I bought my kid a ticket. I said, "because". She told me it was a waste of money. I thought to myself (using all my internal restraint to not THINK OUTLOUD), "my kid, my money, my ticket". I then went on my way. Elle flashing her best movie star smiles at everyone in our path.

Elle loves people. She thinks everyone is here to see her. She is mostly right. She fussed for about five minutes during taxi, so I lifted her up above my head so she could smile at her audience...she loved that. She spent most of take off trying to climb over me so she could smile and WINK at the rest of the passengers.

I have to thank one gate check agent in New Orleans. I did not get his name, but he was the only person on the entire trip that helped us. He took our stroller and gate checked it for me. Saving me the stress and embarrassment of having to bend over and flash my fat can in-front of the entire boarding plane while I fold the stroller and gate check tag it. He was really nice to us and his two minutes of help made my day.

On a jet plane

Elle and I are packed and ready to go on a mini vacation. I have twice as many outfits as she will need ziplocked into a big backpack with my clothes so I can push her stroller and wear the luggage. Her passport is paper clipped to my driver's license and our boarding passes. My boobies are packed and ready to produce milk (now that I have done it in public, I am not scared of the plane).

Look for a followup post in a couple of days...plus 5 month check up ranting.

I will fight no more forever...

The last two days Elle woke up famished and wet before 5 am. Yesterday I fought it...fed her, changed her and put her back in her crib to rest until at least 6. Today I couldn't bear the fight. I tried to put her back down to sleep on her own, but I wasn't getting any of the sleep that I necessitated her sleeping a bit more...

I brought her downstairs to the couch and let her fall asleep on my chest while I at least rested. By the time we were all ready to get up, I had two dogs and a baby propped all over me. She woke up happy and ready to play and I am not a zombie, so for today...it worked.

Yesterday we went to the Bronx Zoo. FUN! I brought both her carriage and her Baby Bjorn carrier so we could mix it up a bit. She is still too young for a full day strapped to the carriage and I don't like to try to carry her in arms and push an empty carriage. She liked the red tufted lemurs...so I got her a stuffed one. (No PETA, not a dead and stuffed one...a synthetic fiber, no animals harmed in the making of...after all...it is the zoo not a fur store.) She ate the lemur when we got home.

I had a bunch of frozen milk I was going to bottle feed her at the zoo, but it did not thaw right and I ended up breastfeeding and dumping the milk. I originally did not want to have to breast feed in public...but I was wearing a nice camisole and had a big sweatshirt on so once she latched all you could see were her little bootied feet popping out from below my sweatshirt. Kid had to eat.

Big day for the little girl...so I can't fault her for being too excited to sleep for a couple days!

Well on her way to being mobile

Elle is well on her way to moving...the mind is there but the body wont comply and that is very frustrating for her. She moves her feet in appropriate walking succession while she is standing up. She holds herself up against the couch or furniture. She pushes from her sitting position to army crawl position. She rolls back and forth. No real success on the transportation front yet.

Last night she tuckered herself out early. She was cranky. I was tired. I put her to bed with a pretty normal routine about 1/2 hour early. She complained but fell asleep within a few minutes of being down. Then I realized the ultimate mistake. I left my cell phone in her room. If it was off, I would not have thought about it, but it was on. Loud plus vibrate! Eeep! With all the stealth of a Navy Seal, I snuck back into the room and acquired the cell phone....and snuck back out again like Santa up the chimney. Crisis averted. I then retired to the couch to imagine myself doing laundry for an hour before I gave up all guilt and went to sleep.

Today we are going to a LaLeche meeting. I like the support I get from other mothers there.

Book Review: The Art Lesson

We try to read a book every morning when Elle wakes up and at least one more during the day. Her attention span is not much better than mine, so we usually stick to short books with attractive pictures.

Today we read The Art Lesson by Tomie dePaola. It was a very sweet book and had a childish auto biographical feel to it. I can't wait to teach Elle about auto biographies and other genres of literature. This is a good first step to talk about it.

The story is about a young Tommy who wants to be an artist even before he starts kindergarten. It is a sweet book about following a passion. I hope that I remember the lessons from this book and let Elle follow her passions.

My girl likes to party all the time!

One thing I can say for Elle is that she is a social butterfly. Take this baby to a party and she is happy and chatty with everyone who wants to hold her. She likes to dance on any table she can find. Usually about half way through the party (about one diaper change in) she likes to take off her tights and really boogie.

However, all that party interferes with her naps. You would not know that this is a problem at the party...she powers right through fueled by adoring looks and the social scenery. When we get home, we are guaranteed a major baby melt down. All the exhaustion from the day catches up with her and she wants sleep now but is too tired to get comfortable.

We try to keep her on a good schedule to avoid these meltdowns, but we have to have some leeway for family events and fun stuff! I have been pretty strict so far about night time schedules. We like to get her to bed at the same time every night. I feel like she appreciates the routine and it is good for her. Sometimes this upsets people when we have to leave early or cut things short, but it works for us and that is all that matters at the end of the day...unless you want to come over and hold my wailing baby!

elle on lap...helpinh me type

is it weird Elle doesn't love cuddling???? she is my clingon today..... wants to do everything i am....even type...but doesn't want to snuggle. eeep she is a teenager!

Book Review: Happy Baby Colors

Happy Baby Colors
By Rodger Priddy

First of all, don't buy this book used on Amazon because Elle thinks it tastes really good and the thought of feeding her a used book grosses me out. Elle is four months old now and there are a selection of books that are not heavy pokey board books that are perfect for her to peruse on her own in her crib or in her swing. This one is particularly delicious and can usually keep her busy so I can shower.

Each page features a color and four or five objects that are that color. Each page also has a cute baby modeling one of the objects. I like to set up her silent reading with a few pages of demonstration. Because there are only a few words on each page I can take some time to make fire truck noises (for red) or ribbit (for the green frog).

Best part of the book...the pages with multi-colored and black and white. It is like a surprise ending!

SuperFussyDay today

Today was a super fussy day. I really think we are back to teething time. It seemed like we did it for a while, then took a break and are now back in drool city.

To combat the crankyness, we kept busy.

For the last few weeks I have been searching for a jogging stroller on craigslist. It is amazing how much money people want for their old junk. (Note, I wanted to use another word for poop in that sentence, but kept it G rated.) I actually found a couple of "one year old, gently used" joggers for MORE than they retail for at BRU. What?!?!?! I don't care if you never used it, the value goes down when it leaves the store sweetheart.

Anyway, after several weeks of looking, I bit the bullet and went to BRU today to buy a new one. I had a 20% coupon and an itch to spend money. I do have a regular stroller system, but I am not thrilled with the hard plastic wheels and lack of maneuverability on the Chicco Cortina. Don't get me wrong, it is ok, but I don't love it, it is heavy and awkward and really, I wish I had chosen something else.

I went and got the Baby Trend Expedition LX. It is not the least expensive jogger there, but by far not the most expensive. A few things I like:

• The front wheel swivels or locks with a little button/switch near the handle bars.
• The tires are bicycle type, durable and filled with air to minimize bumping on rough terrain.
  
• It has 4 cup holders, two for me and two for Elle.
• It is really easy to maneuver with her in it.

Things that I don't love:

• It is ugly.
• The seat positioned is a strap that has continuous positions, but doesn't feel as safe as a nice clicking one.
• It does not have the hand break like the more expensive joggers do.

We gave it a test run at home and I have officially joined the suburban moms with three wheeled strollers. I have not used it for a big walk yet, but will hopefully have time for that tomorrow.

It was easy to put together...but some of the instructions were funny.

Hey Meghan, you won...

Meghan, tell me which DVD you want by the end of Thursday...otherwise I am going to rotate down the list!